Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery (Sherlock Bones #1)

by Renee Treml (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Sherlock Bones

An action-packed graphic novel mystery with gentle humor and Bad Guys-style illustrations, perfect for dinosaur-loving emerging readers.

Hi there, I'm Sherlock Bones. Who is Sherlock Bones, you ask? Well, I don't like to brag, but my trusty side-kick Watts says I'm the greatest detective in our whole museum.

Don't you, Watts?

Watts . . . ?

Sherlock Bones and his sidekick, a stuffed parrot named Watts, live in a natural history museum. So when the precious Royal Blue Diamond goes missing, they are first on the case. What they don't expect is Grace, a silly, new-to-the-scene raccoon who keeps getting in the way. Even worse, Bones and Watts learn that if the diamond isn't recovered, the museum could (GASP!) close! Can they find the diamond before they're forced to find another home?

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Kirkus

A nifty whodunit. 

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5--Sherlock Bones, the skeleton of a tawny frogmouth (a bird native to Australia), solves mysteries at the State Natural History Museum with his trusty sidekick Watts, an inanimate stuffed ringneck parrot who doesn't talk (Sherlock offers interpretations as needed). When a royal blue diamond goes missing, the pair jump into action. Getting in the way of the investigation is Grace, a raccoon with a sweet tooth and a bit of an attitude. Sherlock resolves to find the missing diamond (along with some other missing objects, like the museum director's granddaughter's toy dinosaur) and manages to stay mostly out of trouble along the way. A Black female security guard is also on the case, so the question remains: Who will solve the mystery first? Sherlock gets to explore the museum, from the rocks and minerals gallery to the butterfly house to the dinosaur exhibit. Most pages are full panels, which helps young readers pick up on details. The black-and-white art leans toward simplistic and the museum setting could have benefitted from some color. The story runs a bit long, but the mystery will keep readers turning pages. VERDICT This cute mystery with a flair for natural history makes for a solid secondary purchase.--Gretchen Hardin, Bee Cave P.L., TX

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

When the valuable Royal Blue Diamond goes missing, the fate of the State Natural History Museum rests with Sherlock Bones, an animated, fourth wall-breaking frogmouth skeleton exhibited in the institution's halls. Joined by inanimate ringneck parrot Watts and chocolate-loving raccoon Grace, Sherlock moves through suspicions, including a security guard tasked with recovering a toy dinosaur belonging to the museum director's granddaughter. Clarity ensues once Sherlock poses leading questions that engage readers. Simple black-and-white art rendered in minimal panels populates Treml's graphic novel debut, moving the story along rapidly and skewing younger than the intended range. Though Sherlock Bones exhibits charm, the story adds up to a familiar caricature of the famous detective. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Renee Treml
Renee Treml is the author and illustrator of several picture books for very young readers, including: Once I Heard a Little Wombat, Ten Little Owls and Wombat Big, Puggle Small. She also has a degree in environmental science and has a passionate love of natural history.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780358311843
Lexile Measure
380
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
September 22, 2020
Series
Sherlock Bones
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002060 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV008110 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Humorous
JUV008120 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Mystery & Detective
JUV008050 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Animals
JUV008080 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Fantasy
Library of Congress categories
Private investigators
Raccoon
Parrots
Cartoons and comics
Comics (Graphic works)
Collection and preservation
Detective and mystery comics
Natural history museums
Jewelry theft
Funny animal comics
Zoological specimens

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